Lose The Expectations
by Creativity488
Summary: When destruction threatens to destroy everything Bonnie has ever known, will it force her to work with the one person she hates the most?
1. Chapter 1

Bonnie could recall some of the most important lessons her Grams had ever taught her. For one, she taught her to always take her powers seriously and never treat them like a joke. When she first found out she was a witch it was easier to joke about it. It was a lot to handle all at once and she wasn't ready for all of the responsibility that was bound to come her way. Her Grams always said that she would have to be her own best friend and could only trust herself when it came down to it. And above all, she told her not to trust vampires. She didn't know then how right her Grams had been.

Bonnie was sitting on her bed, staring at a photo of her and her Grams that they had taken just that past summer. Feeling the tears start to prick her eyes again, she realized how angry she felt. How could she have been so naïve to let her feelings for Elena get in the way? She's with _them_, those monsters that her Grams had warned her against.

She knew she had convinced Damon to give Caroline his blood, but how was she supposed to know that she would turn into one of them? It was just too much for her to handle. She looked at Grams again in the photo and felt some shame build up in her chest. She could just picture the disappointment and critical stare she was bound to have received from her if she was still alive.

_Still alive…_and with that thought in her mind once again, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing once more. Why did it always feel like everyone she loved got hurt?

These tears weren't just for her Grams anymore…they were due to everything that has gone wrong since she's passed away. Caroline has become a vampire, Katherine is back in town creating problems everywhere she goes, and she fears for her friends' lives every day. It's just too much to handle! She should be cheerleading and getting excited about everything new that will be happening in school. Instead she's always watching her back wondering if she'll die in a few minutes or a few days from now. That's why she decided to help Stefan and Damon with getting Mason to talk to them. She felt guilty since he had never hurt her, but at the same time, if he was involved with Katherine, who knew what he was capable of? She didn't want to see another person she cares about get hurt.

But that's when she heard it, a soft patter on her window. At first she thought it was the branch of the tree knocking against her window again, but she knew it wasn't all that windy today. She looked out her window to see a small rock smack against her window and quickly fall away. As confusion began to creep into her mind, she timidly reached her window and looked outside.

_Well I'll be damned_, Bonnie thought to herself, _I never saw this coming._

She opened the door all the way and saw a familiar and very frustrating vampire standing before her. "Damon", she said with as much hate as she could muster, "what in the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh Bonnie, is that any way to greet your guest?" he said with a smug smile crossing over his perfect face.

"Well…considering that I hate you, I think it's the perfect way to greet you", she said while narrowing her eyes at him even more. "Now, you still haven't answered the question. What the hell are you doing here Damon?"

"Why do you have to be so rude Bonnie? Maybe I just wanted to stop by to say hello and tell you how much I care. It doesn't have to be something bad." And she really had to give him some credit for that. If she hadn't known him, she would have guessed he was being genuine the entire time. However, his comments always dripped of sarcasm and his eyebrows always do this weird raising thing when he's lying.

She laughed slightly and said, "Really Damon, don't insult my intelligence. We both know you're lying and I want to know what it is that you want."

Sighing heavily he said, "If you insist. As much as I hate to keep talking to judgy witches like yourself, it seems necessary. Can I come inside to talk to you?"

"You have GOT to be kidding. Why would I ever invite you into my house when I hate your guts? You could just waltz right into here at any point and try to kill me again. I don't think so", she said as her eyes narrowed as far as they would go.

"How about you stop being so fucking proud for one moment and face the facts little witch? Katherine is _dangerous _and she could rip your heart out faster than it would take for me to get here to make sure you don't die so easily without a fight. Whether you like it or not, you and your precious father don't stand a chance against her. And if you want to make sure that you stay alive so you can be the perfect loyal friend that you are, then you better know what's good for you and let me inside." The cold chill in his voice was frightening. But it wasn't just his voice that was frightening – it was the fact that he was right.

"Fine, come inside Damon."

He took a seat in father's favorite arm chair without asking which infuriated Bonnie even more. _He always acts like he owns everything_, she thought as she could feel her patience disappearing.

"Damon, I don't have time for your games so just get to it already. What do you want from me?"

"As you know, it tortured me yesterday to have to ask you for your help with the whole Mason thing. He had to be disposed of to send Katherine a message, but it seems like she has another plan up her sleeve. Stefan and I want her out of our lives for good. That bitch needs to go so we need your help. The more supernatural power we have on our side the better."

"Yeah, what do I have to do?"

"Wait…you…the judgy little witch…is going to help me the first moment I ask? Bonnie, are we becoming friends?" he said with that famous smirk of his.

"That's a disgusting thought. Never say that to me again otherwise I think I might stay sick for life." And right after that, Bonnie couldn't help but notice the smiles that had crossed both of their faces.

Bonnie noticed that her phone was ringing so she decided to take the call. "Hello?"

"Hi there Bonnie", a colder voice said on the other end. Bonnie knew immediately that it wasn't Elena. _Katherine. _She could feel her body start to tense up and noticed that Damon became rigid. "I see that you've moved on to one of my boy toys. What's with the teenagers in this town? It's like you're only interested in my sloppy seconds."

"Katherine, what do you want and how did you get my phone number?"

"Now Bonnie, I wouldn't talk to me like that if I was you. Because I have a plan in place for you and you don't want to make me angry." Bonnie felt like she lost the ability to breathe normally. "Matt seems to have taken a liking to me since I look so much like Elena. He's like a sick puppy…so lonely and looking for love. And I was so grateful to take advantage of that vulnerability. Now Bonnie, I want you to listen to me VERY carefully. I will call you tomorrow and give you very simple instructions. If you don't follow them, I will make sure to rip Matt to shreds and I guarantee you his body will not be attached."

Bonnie had lost the ability to speak. "Have a great night Bonnie. I look forward to working with you."

Damon took a hold of Bonnie's shoulders and shook her lightly. "Bonnie…what's going on?"

That's when tears began to roll down her cheeks. "She's going to kill Matt if I don't help her out. What am I going to do?"

And for once, she let someone hug her and it was the last person she expected. A homicidal vampire was taking care of her like no one else could.


	2. Chapter 2

It took a few minutes before Bonnie realized what she had done. She had allowed Damon to embrace her – she really could not believe it. But that wasn't what surprised her the most. The most surprising fact was that she found it comforting and she was happy to finally act like she wasn't this strong all the time. However, at the same time, she knew she had to go back to putting on her tough exterior and show him that he wouldn't be seeing this ever again. That's when she knew she had to push away from him.

After she pushed away gently and wiped away some of her tears, Bonnie said, "Wha-what am I going to do? She's threatened one of my good friends and who knows who else she'll threaten if I don't do exactly what she wants."

Taking a moment and studying her eyes very intently, Damon said, "I'll call Stefan and see what we can do about this."

"However, from first impression", Damon said while pacing some of Bonnie's living room, "We're going to have to play a little game with the manipulative bitch. She wants to play a game and it looks like we're going to have to play her just as hard as she's playing us. I know you don't want like working with us but it looks like you have no other choice."

Bonnie looked back at him now. She realized that there would always be a battle between them – right versus wrong, dominance versus compliance, vulnerability versus undeniable strength. It started to creep into her mind that they were both a product of their weakness. They had both lost love in some sort of traumatic way, even if the circumstances weren't at all alike. Damon wanted to get rid of Katherine as much as she did, and even though she kept telling herself it was for revenge, maybe there was more to it than that. She looked into those icy blue eyes and simply nodded.

"Well good", Damon said, "it's nice to see that your loyalty never wavers…even when you have to deal with me". A smile smirk crossed his face right before he began to call Stefan. It went as quickly as it had come.

"Stefan we have a situation. It's best that you come to Bonnie's house as soon as you can. This can't wait."

And when it seemed like only seconds had gone by, there was a knock at the door and Bonnie knew that it was Stefan. When she opened the door she said, "You can come in."

Stefan seemed to walk in very timidly but instantly his eyebrow rose when he saw that Damon was sitting in Bonnie's house. "This has to be really bad for you to have allowed Damon into your house."

"Yeah you could say that", Bonnie said as she felt her face getting hot, "but I think we have more important things to talk about."

Bonnie had a seat next to Damon on the couch. For some reason, she knew they had to sit next to each other. Stefan took a seat across from her.

"Well, Katherine called me earlier and threatened to kill Matt if I didn't do exactly what she wants. She's supposed to call me tomorrow and give me instructions on what she wants me to do. She didn't elaborate on what it was or what she hopes to use me for, so it seems like this situation is unavoidable."

Stefan walked slowly away and started to look out the window. He was still looking out the window when he said, "You know that moonstone that we have? I'm pretty sure that's what she wants." He sat back down and looked directly into Bonnie's eyes and said, "Legend has it that a witch can break the curse on a moonstone. She might be looking to you to break that curse, but if it's not about that, then we need to determine what our next move will be. However, I think you should take that call tomorrow and once we know what she wants you to do then we can create a concrete plan. By making it over the phone, she's eliminated any early interference that we can have over her plan. This was very well-played on her part."

Bonnie started to feel her temper rising. "So let me get this straight…I have to help out a disgusting murderous vampire who's been threatening to kill all my friends? She's supposedly in love with you and both of you have obsessed over her for centuries. I'm sorry but I expected a lot more from you."

She could feel her powers starting to betray her. They were bottling up inside of her, feeding off of her emotions and ready to burst from the surface. She couldn't take it anymore. The vase on the coffee table suddenly burst into a million pieces, sending shards of glass to pierce the opposite wall. Stefan and Damon went on the defensive and hit the ground to avoid injury. Bonnie couldn't control her powers any longer. Without any utterance of words and only a soft flicker of a finger, cabinets were being ripped off of the entertainment center and being scattered along the floor.

"BONNIE…BONNIE…STOP!" The fuzziness of her surroundings began to clear and her eyes widened in shock and horror. She looked at the person who had been shaking her and saw that Damon was still holding on to her shoulders very tightly. Bonnie felt like screaming but no sound escaped her throat. Intense pain was beginning to spread from her head all the way down to the tips of her toes. It literally felt like her powers were eating her alive. Instead she felt very dizzy and felt her knees begin to buckle underneath her.

"Damon…", Bonnie uttered very quietly before she began to fall. Damon quickly caught her in his arms.

Damon's eyes widened in horror before he said, "Bonnie? Bonnie, what's going on? BONNIE!" He was horrified seeing his beautiful, petite, friendly witch lying in his arms so fragile and broken. To the side of him, Stefan had called the police but Damon didn't even notice. He only had eyes for Bonnie. He began to lightly shake her. "Bonnie, please…please wake up."

That's when he heard his phone vibrate on the table next to them. Damon picked it up and heard the familiar voice that made his blood boil and brought vengeance to his mind.

"Wow Damon, I thought you would've learned by now that I'm invincible", Katherine said on the other end. "I always have a plan and I'll always be more than a step ahead of you. I knew you had a soft spot for this witch and I want you to listen very, very closely. I know how to hurt her and I will not hesitate to use it. You can't protect everyone Damon – and it's about time you learned that."

"You bitch", Damon said through clenched teeth, "stop whatever you're doing right now."

"Oh, that wouldn't be fun at all", Katherine said. "I think you're going soft on me. I think I'll drag it out for a little bit longer. But when little Bonnie does wake up, please pass on this little message for me. Let her know that she WILL be working with me alone and she won't be playing any more of these pathetic games. Because the next time she tries to double cross me, her friends lives won't be the only things in danger."

And that's when the line went dead. Damon looked at Bonnie's limp body once again before turning to Stefan.

"Stefan…that was Katherine. Looks like we're at war little brother."


	3. Chapter 3

Bonnie had never felt this way before. At the moment, she felt as if she was floating, like her body was lifeless. It was a pretty comforting feeling like she could move without restriction or without thinking twice about what she would do tomorrow or in a few minutes for that matter. In her moments of calm serenity, she felt as if she could think clearly for the first time. Her life had become about survival and nothing more. She didn't have time to think about homework or cheerleading that would be right around the corner. Instead she kept watching her back, wondering if today would be the day that she would lose her life. Her mind began to linger to her father. Sometimes she wondered if he would be happier being ignorant to her obvious magical ability, or if he would be happier she had passed on if he was forced to come to terms with it. Ever since her mother left them to pursue God knows what with her own magical abilities, he has never hid the fact that he thinks it's rebellious and dangerous. 'Magic will have no place in my household!' is one of the phrases he loves to repeat on a daily basis, Bonnie thought in her carefree comfort. Little does he know that she practices magic in her bedroom when he's still at work. He would be furious if he ever found out.

Through her comforting haze, she began to hear another voice that gave her comfort. Maybe it was because it seemed familiar…or maybe it was because the person was talking very kindly…she didn't really know. However, she could still make out what the voice was saying.

"Why won't you wake up", the voice was saying, "Don't you know that we need you little witch?"

There was a slight pause. "Bonnie…you need to wake up. You have a lot of people to live for. And I swore I would protect you. And although you can be annoying as hell sometimes and you hate my guts, surprisingly I actually care about you. So, I think you should wake up for everyone in your life."

Bonnie began to feel confused. Where was she anyway and why was this person talking to her like she was…._dead?_ Bonnie began to feel her panic break the comfort that had surrounded her. _Am I in a coma or something_ she thought to herself. All she knew was that she had to get out of it – and fast!

Warmth began to fill her mind and her thoughts. She closed her eyes and began to focus on the heartbeat of power she felt near her heart. Her magic pumped through every inch of her – from her toes all the way up into her mind. She grasped on tightly to that power and began to unleash it, feeling it release completely and healingly into every inch of her body. Slowly but surely, she began to feel very strong and could feel the comforting peace slip away from her. She knew she would see that familiar face very soon.

Her eyelids began to flutter as she adjusted to light around her. Bonnie hadn't realized how dimly lit her moment of comfort had truly been. When she began to wake up, she began to notice how her body slightly ached and how tired she felt. However, she could feel someone gripping her hand and quickly let it go. When she looked over, she saw Damon was right next to her bed side. _Damon…well life is full of surprises_ Bonnie thought to herself. However, before it flickered away, she saw how pleased and relieved he looked.

"Bonnie", Damon said, "I'm glad you're still alive. Do you feel strong enough to talk?"

Another surprise; he was actually concerned about her. She began to wonder if he was that familiar voice she had heard before. "Yeah…I think I'm up for it."

"Okay good", Damon said while finally drawing his eyes away from hers, "Katherine called after you passed out. It seems like she has gained control over your powers. Do you know how she could have become capable of this?"

Bonnie began to panic. "She-she did what? How is that even possible?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Do you have any idea of how she could pull this off?"

Bonnie thought for a moment. "As far as I know, and Emily knew as well, the ability to gain that kind of control is a myth-"

"However", Bonnie said when she noticed Damon look back at her, "I think I remember reading in Grams' diary that there is a legend about a certain ring called The Scarlet Rose. If I'm remembering correctly…The Scarlet Rose could be used to harness any witches' power if you had an object that they hold dear to their heart. And as long as you had the ring on you then you could do as you pleased. The last owner had hid it somewhere deep in Salem where no one could find it. Not only that but it's believed to be a legend so I doubt that's how she was able to hurt me.

"And if Emily didn't mention it in her grimiore, then I doubt that it actually exists", Bonnie said. "My Grams was just fascinated with legends of witches like that."

"Okay", Damon said after he had heard everything Bonnie had said. "I'm going to start working with Stefan to see what we can come up with. I'll keep in touch to let you know if we find anything else. Until then, just recover and we'll figure out what to do later."

He started to walk before he said, "And Bonnie?"

"Yes?"

"Katherine threatened your life. I'm not going to stop until I take that bitch down."

Bonnie could hear the loyalty emanating from his voice. "I know Damon…I know."


	4. Chapter 4

As Bonnie watched Damon walk away, she wasn't sure how she felt. Was she grateful that Damon was willing to help her out, or simply adamant because he cared about her in the first place? Grams had always told her that vampire and witches were natural enemies – that witches represented loyalty, common sense, and regulators of the natural order of their environment. Grams had always said that vampires threatened that natural order because they brought about destruction. However, Bonnie wasn't sure that was so true after all. Even before Grams died, she knew that Stefan was a great guy that she could trust (even if she doubted that for a while afterwards, and maybe a little bit now). One of her best friends after all, Caroline, is one of them and she had gotten control over her desire to harm humans and was still the same person she had always been. Damon was still the only one she wasn't all that sure about. She thought she understood everything she needed to know about Damon – that he was homicidal, only cared about himself and his obsession with Elena, and couldn't be bothered to feel any remorse. But here he was, going off to find out information that he needed to protect _her _against Katherine. It was a shock to realize that his loyalty towards Elena could also be extended to her.

But as Bonnie was laying in her hospital bed thinking about all this, she realized how tired she had been. All the drama that had occurred with Katherine taking over her powers had been enough for one day so she decided to rest her eyes. Before Bonnie knew it, she was slipping off into more colorful and vivid dreams of the past as well as her obviously complex future.

Bonnie began to recognize this weightless feeling and it seemed to register in her mind that she was dreaming. She recognized that she was in the thick woods behind her home that she had been spending a lot of time in recently. Even though she wasn't too far off from her home, it could still feel like she was hundreds of miles away because it was so calming and silent. She even realized she was in her favorite summer dress, feeling the fall leaves crunching under her bare feet as she instantly smiled at the sight of her favorite tree. This tree in particular was massive with its aged bark and endlessly breathtaking height which Bonnie enjoyed admiring every time she came to it. It was her favorite spot to sit and think about what her life had become – which included her Grams' untimely and tragic passing, as well as what road she would choose to follow as the only witch in Mystic Falls.

As she often would, Bonnie began to climb up into the tree and sit on the first sturdy branch from the ground. Except for some reason, she didn't feel like she was alone. She could feel an intense power somewhere nearby. She couldn't pinpoint the exact location but she had the nagging feeling that she could trust the person it belonged to. She climbed off of the tree and stood on the ground once more, standing and waiting for whatever it was that she could sense.

And before she knew, the person she loved and trusted with everything she had was standing right in front of her. _Grams_, she thought to herself and tears began to roll down her cheeks and she embraced the one she loved. _My dear Bonnie, _she heard her Grams think. _I don't have much time, but I know you're in danger and I know what Katherine desires._

_ Grams, what is she looking for? _Bonnie knew this was important and she knew she needed to do whatever she could to get this information. _Katherine already has a witch and someone she will use against you. Whatever you do Bonnie, you need to get this item and destroy it before she hurts the one you love. You are going to need to get as much assistance as you possibly can from your friends and even the vampires. _Before Bonnie could even question her, her Grams said, _and I know what I said to you so long ago. You're still a young witch and your powers are still developing so you're going to need their help. I don't believe that the scarlet rose is responsible when it comes to Emily, but rather that it has everything to do with you Bonnie. Search your room and get into contact with your parents and make sure that nothing of yours is in her possession…that could be the reason why she could control your powers._

_ And just to be safe, _Grams said to Bonnie and she slipped what looked like an amulet around her neck, _here are my powers. This way you can always have a piece of me with you. And any extra power you can have that Katherine can't get a hold of will only benefit you further. _Bonnie didn't know what to say and could only manage to mouth the words of thanks to the woman who had practically raised her. After her mother had left them, Grams was the only female role model she had. After they hugged one last time, her Grams brushed her tears away and said, _I'll be visiting you again very soon._

With a sharp intake of breath, Bonnie was looking at the hospital walls once again, and upon touching her neck, felt the gold heart shaped amulet around her neck.

Bonnie had been able to get some rest off and on throughout the afternoon. Caroline had come to visit her and nearly cut off her air supply by the tight hug she was given. Elena and Stefan had also stopped by to talk to her to find out anything she could remember, and she filled them in about The Scarlet Rose…but for some reason, she chose not to tell them about the amulet her Grams had sent her through the dream. She felt like this was something Damon and her needed to do together – they were a team on this one and she didn't want to worry her friends.

She was about to dose off again when she recognized a familiar face…one that she hadn't seen in nearly a decade. A face she couldn't believe she was staring at. This was the face that had the same green eyes as her as well as the same petite figure. This person was her mother. Bonnie didn't know what she was feeling as she looked at her mother. What was she supposed to say? Something like I'm pissed off that you ran off when I was only seven years old because you couldn't deal with your marital problems. Or simply that you abandoned your child because you couldn't be mature to handle your failed marriage just didn't sound right. All she could think to do at first was cry – cry like her seven year old self had so long ago.

"Mom…why have you suddenly decided to show up after _10 years?_", Bonnie said to her estranged mother. "You missed my first cheerleading accident when I broke my leg and you couldn't be bothered to show up then. Did dad call you or something? Because guess what – most of the time he can't be bothered to drop his work to come check up on me because he can't STAND how much we resemble each other. He can't even look at me most of the time. And no, he doesn't have to say anything because I have all the evidence I need based on how he averts his eyes all the time.

"Have you come to apologize for that or something? Because there is a LONG list of things you have to make up for before I even consider speaking to you after I leave this place."

Her mom simply stood there looking at her daughter with tears in her eyes that were threatening to pour over her cheeks. "I know I've been a failure as a mother, and that could easily be an understatement", Bonnie's mom said, "but I thought your father would do a better job at raising you than I would. When I found out I was what I was…he couldn't stand to look at me."

Bonnie's face took on a look of grave resolve. "Mom…no you can't be! Tell me it isn't true." Her eyes widened further as more tears formed in her eyes. "You're a vampire aren't you?"

Bonnie's took a sharp intake of breath. "I wish I could tell you differently…but yes, you're right."

Bonnie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I need some time alone. Please don't come back for a while, I need my space."

Maurine, Bonnie's mom, simply nodded her head. "I never came back to protect you from myself, and I knew your dad would never approve of me seeing you anyway. I just want you to know that I love you. And also," as she was digging into her purse, "I have something to give you."

She slipped Bonnie a piece of paper and walked out of the room. In her mom's handwriting it said, _help me. _Bonnie's heart quickened as realization began to sink in. This must be the piece of Bonnie's heart that Katherine has against her. And she couldn't help feeling like the Matt thing Katherine had mentioned earlier had been a setup all along.


	5. Chapter 5

Bonnie couldn't believe what had just happened to her. She felt like she was still dreaming, in an entirely different world other than her own. Bonnie had accepted long ago that her mom wouldn't make another appearance in her life. She had also accepted that she left because of her dad and that her mom had never considered her in her choice. Now it turns out that Bonnie was wrong on both counts. It was extremely difficult for Bonnie to reach back into her memories and see any signs of her mom being a vampire. Granted she was only seven when her mom left but she knew her mom went out into the sun and would eat normal food. Bonnie felt that sinking pit in her stomach though and it told her what she already knew – the Salvatore brothers can walk in the sun due to a ring and she was sure they can stomach food if they need to.

Bonnie could feel her anger mounting all over again. Her mom said she left to protect her from herself and again Bonnie had no say in a huge part of her life. Bonnie's dad had decided for them that they wouldn't talk about her mom; Bonnie's mom had decided for her what she could and could not handle. No matter whether she was seven or seventeen people had been making choices for her all her life. Bonnie knew in her heart that she was a strong young woman and she wondered why people treated her like she was fragile. She had weaknesses just like anyone else but that didn't mean that she'd shatter into a million pieces the moment something new happened. Bonnie had been through a lot just accepting the truth that her dad was the only family she had left to trust.

The more Bonnie was laying in her hospital bed the more she wanted to scream. Not only did her mom just drop the biggest news on top of her but she was livid that Katherine had taken over her powers and used them against her. She didn't know how Katherine had done it but she wasn't about to sit around feeling sorry for herself. Bonnie had had enough of feeling helpless and waiting for the damn Salvatores to make all the decisions. Katherine had something over her mother and was disrespecting her and all the witches before her that have stood up for the balance of nature and this world. Bonnie was not about to be walked all over and she was not about to look like a weakling having to call on others for help. Despite what her mother had done, she still loved her and didn't want someone to be harmed when she could stop it from happening.

Bonnie got up out of bed rather gingerly and walked to the cabinets near her bed. The first few steps were a bit hesitant and she felt a little lightheaded but she was determined to get the hell out of there. Bonnie quickly put yesterday's clothes on and slipped out of her hospital gown and disconnected some of her cords. As Bonnie began to walk quickly out of her room, the door suddenly opened to reveal a nurse on the other side. The nurse looked absolutely stunned, and quickly uttered "Ms. Bennett, you have not been cleared to leave and we need to do more tests. Please get back into bed." Bonnie didn't want it to come to this but she knew what she had to do to get out of here. "I'm sorry but that's not your call to make." With a slight flick of her finger, the nurse passed out cold on the floor completely unconscious.

She knew there would be questions if there was only one staff member in her hospital room knocked out so she decided she had no other choice. Bonnie closed her eyes and ran off an incantation she remembered learning from her Grams' grimoire. Almost instantly, everyone around her stumbled and fell fast asleep. She thought that would buy her enough time to get back before anyone suspected a thing. As she headed down the corridor and walked out the hospital doors, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the last number that had called her. When she hears the other end connect, Bonnie begins to talk before she heard a response. "Katherine, I'm done with your games and I'm ready to fight. Just tell me where and when so we can have it out fair and square. No one else needs to get hurt."

"The thing is, I'm not interested in having it out with you. All I want is to have you around to do what I want for a while. No one has to get hurt for that to happen, does it?"

As Bonnie tried to calm herself down, Katherine suddenly said on the other end, "Oh, and can you bring Damon along? At least one of my former boy toys needs to be around to watch me bend the will of a Bennett witch."

"Damon isn't involved in this. This is between you and me. No one else has to get hurt."

"Well, that's not entirely true is it?", Katherine replied. "Damon got himself involved when he decided to threaten me. I think he has a soft spot for you actually.

On second thought," as Bonnie heard some rustling in the background of the phone call, "it looks like Matt delivered him to me on a silver platter. Surprise! Oh, I wish I could see your face right now", Katherine chuckled on the other end.

Bonnie's heart got caught in her chest and she suddenly couldn't breathe. It looks like she wasn't joking about Matt after all. "Now Bonnie, you might not care about Damon but you certainly care about Matt. If you want his will restored, come meet me at the Grill in 10 minutes and we'll discuss details. Do yourself a favor and don't be late."


	6. Chapter 6

Bonnie had no time to panic and think things through. Not only was Matt in danger and doing God knows what for Katherine against his will, but now Damon was involved in this mess. Bonnie knew about the problems she's had with Damon but that didn't mean she wanted him to get hurt. This was about her and now people were getting dragged into her mess.

Bonnie tried to quickly remember the spells in her Grams' grimoire. She had a few spells mastered that could distract vampires, but Katherine was an older vampire than the Salvatores and she didn't think they would work. No matter what happened next Bonnie knew that she would fight until she didn't have anything left. Bonnie began to sprint down the sidewalk of the main road in Mystic Falls, feeling the wind rustle with her hair as she was heading towards the Mystic Grill. She could feel her rapid heartbeat in her ears as she got closer to the Mystic Grill and it wasn't just from the long run. Something didn't feel right…it was like the air was more dense making it harder to breathe the closer she got to the doors.

There was no going back now. Bonnie took a deep breath and opened the front door of the Mystic Grill. The normal Saturday lunch crowd was seated throughout the restaurant and some were just getting drinks at the bar. Her instinct told her that that's why Katherine picked to have this go down in the Mystic Grill. Bonnie couldn't defend herself without hurting an innocent or exposing her abilities to the whole town. It was clever and Bonnie felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it.

It was like a whisper in Bonnie's ear as if it came from right behind her. "I'm so glad you could make it! Bennett witches…always so brave." It sounded like Elena but Bonnie knew better than that.

"Katherine, that's enough! Where the hell are you", Bonnie muttered under her breath.

"You are no fun at all, someone needs to help you lighten up", Katherine said. "But if you must know, walk near the bathrooms and you'll find what you're looking for."

Bonnie wasn't sure if this was a trap or not, but she didn't think she had much of a choice. As Bonnie was walking towards the bathrooms she felt like everyone was watching her. After walking past each table everyone would turn to look at her. It felt bizarre and made Bonnie very uneasy.

It was easy to see Katherine once she got closer. Katherine had a cocky smile on her face and was leaning casually up against the wall between the bathrooms. "I'm glad you found your way. I was watching the clock and was afraid you wouldn't get here in time. Looks like you're just as loyal as the rest of your lineage."

"Well, I'm here now so you have to live up to your part of the bargain. It's time to release Matt from whatever you've got over him", Bonnie said.

Katherine let out a big laugh. "It's not going to be that easy, Bonnie", she said. "How can I be certain that you won't try to hurt me when my back is turned? Matt is my insurance policy that you will come and leave with me right now with no problem. Damon is just icing on the cake."

Bonnie felt sick to her stomach. Katherine was more sick and twisted than she thought. "Now come follow me! We're going to go for a little walk." Tentatively, Bonnie followed Katherine down a flight of stairs to the basement of the Mystic Grill. Lots of canned food, a large freezer, and other ingredients were stored in the basement. In the back corner however, Bonnie saw Matt tied down to a chair and Damon chained up with lots of cuts on his chest. Bonnie gasped looking at Damon's injuries and the exhausted look on his face. Matt looked unharmed.

Katherine looked at Bonnie's reaction and smirked. "Darling, you've got to live a little. This makes life so exciting doesn't it? A little bondage and torture…it's quite a turn on once you embrace the dark side."

Bonnie was trying to think of spells to use but she was going blank. She was so scared and felt entirely useless. This had never happened to her before and she was panicking. "Well, Bonnie", Katherine said, "there is a vehicle waiting for us just passed that door. Follow me this way".

"Bring them out now!" Katherine shouted. Bonnie didn't see anyone until five people appeared out of nowhere. Bonnie didn't know if they were vampires or not, but it freaked her out since they hid perfectly in the shadows. They unchained Damon and pushed him forward. Several others carried Matt out behind them.

From behind Bonnie and Katherine, Bonnie began to hear Damon screaming in agony. When she looked behind her, she noticed that Damon's ring was missing. "Give Damon his ring back", Bonnie said to Katherine.

Katherine stopped walking and turned to Bonnie. "And why would I do that? I enjoy seeing him squirm."

"If he dies on the spot, you won't get the satisfaction of having him watch me getting taken away with you", Bonnie said. She didn't know why but she had the urge to protect Damon more than herself.

Bonnie knew that she had won Katherine over. Katherine nodded at one of her goons and the ring was put back on Damon's finger. Damon shared a look with Bonnie. "Bonnie…", was all that Damon could manage to say. She didn't know why but Bonnie felt like her heart was breaking.

Suddenly, Katherine shouted "Okay, it's time for you all to leave!" It sounded like an echo, like a command that was meant to control those around her. All of a sudden, everyone in the Mystic Grill started heading to their cars and driving away. Katherine stood there with her hands on her hips, looking proudly at her handiwork. She turned to Bonnie and said, "Am I good or what?" Bonnie felt like she was about to have a heart attack. This was a lot more than she had bargained for and beyond any skills a typical vampire would have.

After it appeared as if everyone had left, Katherine turned to Bonnie and said, "Now that I have you right where I want you, I'll release Matt." Katherine kneeled down in front of Matt and said, "You've served your purpose. Leave and forget everything you saw." After Matt was untied, Matt got up from his chair and walked away. Even as Bonnie shouted his name, Matt didn't even look around to acknowledge her. It was as if she didn't exist.

"And now I have nothing else to lose", Bonnie said with a surge of courage. Now that Matt was released, the only person that would get hurt was her. Bonnie thought Damon could defend himself and Bonnie wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Katherine smiled. "I knew you would say that. Lucy!" For a split second, Bonnie saw a beautiful young woman of tall stature and soulful brown eyes emerge from the vehicle. Once they were face to face, Lucy touched Bonnie's forehead and that's when everything went black.


End file.
